Asparagus with Hazelnut Vinaigrette and Chopped Egg

*Phew*! I got my first of three papers finished this morning! The next is due on Monday, and my final paper (the longest at 10-12 pages) is due on Tuesday. I. CAN'T. WAIT. for this quarter to be over! It's totally been throwing a wrench in my cooking/baking time.

Anyways, on to the food! Last weekend, Mikey and I went to Pike's Place Market to shop for Memorial Day ingredients. Produce stands were completely stocked with gorgeous Spring veggies and the very first produce of Summer. I wanted to take everything home with me but I settled on a few select items--including a bunch a beautiful, local asparagus.

This dish turned out better than great! The asparagus keeps a nice, crisp bite thanks to only being cooked for a couple of minutes, and the creamy, thick, tart vinaigrette and chopped egg are nice counterpoints.

Asparagus with Hazelnut Vinaigrette and Chopped Egg

recipe slightly adapted from here

ingredients:

• 2 lbs asparagus, washed and trimmed
• 1 large hard-boiled egg, chopped
• 1 large shallot
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted

1. In a food processor, combine the shallot, vinegar, mustard, and sugar. Process until the shallot is minced and everything is combined. Slowly, with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl and stir in the hazelnuts.
2. Bring a large saute pan filled with 2 1/2 inches of salted water to a boil. Add in the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving dish.
3. Top the asparagus with the hazelnut vinaigrette, chopped egg, and more salt and pepper. Serve!

Chicken Hand Pies

I made these adorable hand pies while I was home last week. I wanted my mom to have something homemade to bring on the plane with her (she flew to Chicago to celebrate her birthday!). They turned out WONDERFUL if I do say so myself *smug face*. But I mean really, how can you go wrong with chicken pot pies that are portable?! I think my addition of fennel added a unique flavor to the mix, and I would actually just use a whole bulb next time. These were both comforting and hearty (plus super cute), and would make a great addition to any picnic basket. Also, these are a much better alternative to Hot Pockets for kids (for instance you actually know what ingredients these hold)!
I had a bit of trouble with the dough, but only because the food processor that I had to make it in only held 3 cups, ha ha. Also, I had a TON of leftover filling,which is excellent just served in a bowl topped with a biscuit, but I would recommend at least doubling the dough recipe for the amount of filling this makes.

Chicken Hand Pies

recipe slightly adapted from here

makes 6 hand pies with lots of leftover filling

ingredients:

• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 1/2 small fennel bulb, sliced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 14 ounces chicken stock
• 1 tsp bouillon powder (or 1 bouillon cube)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• salt and pepper, to taste
• pastry dough (recipe below)
• 1 egg + 1 tsp water, beaten

1. Place the potato chunks in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onions, carrots, celery, and fennel and cook until the onions are very tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Melt the butter into the veggie mixture and stir in the flour to create a roux. Let cook for around 2 minutes to cook out the flour taste. Add in about half of the chicken stock and the bouillon and let simmer for a few minutes. Then, taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and add the chicken stock in until you have reached your desired consistency (more than likely you will use all of it). Cook until the chicken is cooked through. Store mixture in the fridge until ready to use (the pies are easier to assemble when the filling is cold).
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
6. Roll out the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface into about an 18 X 22 inch rectangle. Cut in half, and then cut each half into thirds to make 6 small rectangles.
7. Scoop 1/4 cup of the filling onto each pastry rectangle, a bit off center. Wet the edges of the dough with a pastry brush and water. Fold the longer end of the pastry up and over the filling. Press down the sides to seal it, and then crimp the edges with the tines of a fork. Place the prepared pastries on the lined baking sheet. With a sharp knife, create two incisions on the top of each pastry. Brush the tops of each with the egg/water. Refrigerate the pastries for at least 30 minutes.
8. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake the pastries for 15-20 minutes, until golden-brown and puffed.

*These can be refrigerated after being baked and then reheated in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Pastry Dough

ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 8 tbsp (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 egg slightly beaten
• 1/3 cup ice cold water
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1. In a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, pulse together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add in the butter and pulse a couple of times until the mixture is crumbly.
2. Combine the egg, water, and vinegar in a small container. While the food processor is running, pour in the egg mixture and pulse until just combined.
3. Pour mixture onto a floured surface and knead a few times to bring all of the ingredients together. The dough can be rolled out immediately, or wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Italian Salad

This is the salad that I served up the other evening with the Mussels and Fennel with Saffron Cream Sauce. I know I promised to have it up just a day after the mussels, but it's been a seriously hectic week starting my new quarter of school, plus trying to show my little sister all around Seattle!

The salad turned out AMAZING! I loved how herb-y the dressing was, and paired with the salty olives and cheese it was simply sublime. It was my personal favorite portion of the meal. Even Mikey, who only ever eats Caesar salads liked it!
This could also easily be made into an entree by adding a grilled chicken breast on top.

Italian Salad

recipe from here

serves 6 as a side salad

ingredients:

for the salad:

• 3 hearts of Romaine, washed, dried and cut into bite-sized strips
• 1 large carrot, peeled into strips
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• handful of pitted olives (I used Nicoise olives)
• handful of grape tomatoes, halved
• Ricotta salata cheese, to taste

for the dressing:

• 1 cup loosely packed fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
• 10 big fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Make the dressing: add all of the dressing ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and blitz to combine. The dressing should be fairly thick. Pour into a container, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve salad.
2. Make the salad: combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing, being sure to fully cover all the veggies. Serve immediately.

A Valentine's Feast Part 1- Filet Mignon with Mushroom Brandy Sauce and Mashed Potatoes with Pancetta and Leeks

I like to make Valentine's dinner for Mikey and myself because I think it's more special than going out. Last year I made an Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb, Hasselback Potatoes, Lemon-Butter Green Beans with Pine Nuts, and Mocha Pots de Crème. It turned out delicious but I was still fairly new to cooking and I recall feeling pretty stressed. This year I decided to take on a bit more since I'm now more comfortable in the kitchen. I chose recipes that I could prepare a couple of hours ahead and just let stand at room temperature until I was ready for them. It made everything so much simpler!

The meal (FEAST!) was so incredibly good. I was actually really surprised by how wonderful it all turned out! It was truly a special treat and I think that Mikey honestly appreciated a lot :).  

The sauce for the filets was to-die-for. It would be good on anything and I loved how it soaked into the potatoes. Oh the potatoes! Let's just talk about those babies for a second. They had a nice woody flavor from the time that complemented the mushrooms in the sauce in a beautiful way. The pancetta imparted such a tasty savory flavor that paired nicely with all of the veggies within the potatoes (BTW these potatoes got my boyfriend eating both leeks and zucchini which he hates!). They were the perfect accompaniment to the juicy filet (which I perfectly cooked to a glorious medium-rare despite the fact my thermometer would not read anything besides 100 degrees). I HIGHLY recommend this meal, and just wait until you see dessert (coming in Part 2)!

Filet Mignon with Mushroom Brandy Sauce

recipe adapted from here

ingredients:

• 2 filets (I got a 6 ounce for me and an 8 ounce for Mikey)
• coarse sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 2 big handfuls crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup low-sodium beef stock
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• fresh chives, to garnish

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add in the shallots and mushrooms and saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the brown sugar and stir for about a minute. Add in the chicken broth, beef stock, and brandy and simmer until the sauce is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 30 minutes. Add in the cream and stir. (This sauce can be made 1 day ahead. If making ahead, cover at this point and chill until ready to use.)
2. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Melt the other tablespoon of butter in a medium to large skillet over high heat. Add in the steaks and sear on all sides, DO NOT TOUCH STEAKS WHILE SEARING (I seared mine for about 4 minutes per side, and then just quickly seared the edges). Transfer steaks to a plate and and top with aluminum foil to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. 
4. Pour the sauce into the skillet that you just cooked the steaks in and be sure to scrape up and browned bits in the pan. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
5. Serve steaks with Mashed Potatoes with Pancetta and Leeks (below), spoon sauce over top, and garnish with chives.

Mashed Potatoes with Pancetta and Leeks

recipe slightly adapted from here

ingredients:

• 12 ounces yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled (this doesn't look like a lot but it's more than enough for two people)
• 3 ounces sliced pancetta, chopped
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped leeks, white and pale green parts only
• 3/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 cup carrot, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/3 cup zucchini, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, saute pancetta in a large skillet over medium- high heat until crisp. Remove from skillet and set aside on a small plate.
3. Add one tablespoon of the olive oil to the same skillet. Reduce the heat too medium-low and add in the leeks and dried thyme. Saute until the leeks are tender, about 5 minutes. Add in the carrot and saute for another 4 minutes. Finally, add in the zucchini and saute about 1 minute longer, until veggies are crisp-tender.
4. Drain the potatoes. You can peel them now too if you wish but I like my mashed potatoes with skin-on. Return the potatoes to the same pot, add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mash away! Stir in the pancetta and vegetable mixture and season with salt and pepper. (This can be made up to 2 hours ahead of time. Keep at room temperature until ready to use and then reheat over low heat.)

No calorie calculations for this meal :)! Valentine's Day is a day for indulging.

Maple Dijon Roasted Brussel Sprouts

In my quest to be healthy despite my love of all food, I have decided to start including calorie counts of my recipes.

I saw this recipe over at Closet Cooking a couple of weeks ago and could not wait to try it out. I adore savory/sweet combinations and I new this one would be right up my alley.
The brussels sprouts were out-of-this world good! The tang of the apple cider vinegar with the sweetness of the maple syrup was utterly divine.
I like my roasted veggies ultra crispy so I let them go in the oven for quite a while. The little leaves that fell off of the spouts got nice and crunchy and reminded me a lot of kale chips- Yum!

Maple Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts

recipe from here

As you can see I used a pound of brussels sprouts (as apposed to Kevin's two) with the same amount of dressing; I really enjoyed the concentrated flavor and though it was accidental on my part, I will now make them like this every time!

ingredients:

• 1lb brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed, and halved
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the brussels sprouts in 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread out on a baking sheet.
3. Whisk together the remaining ingredients minus the almonds. Set aside.
4. Bake the sprouts for around 30 minutes, being sure to stir them around half way through.
5. Toss the roasted sprouts and toasted almonds in the vinaigrette and serve!

4 side servings at about 170 calories each, or two big servings at 340 calories each :)

Good to the last sprout!

Veggie Burgers & Super Simple Garlic Aioli

Every few weeks or months I go through a food faze where I just cannot get enough of a certain food. In the past it has been avocados, big juicy meat burgers, hot dogs, sweet potato fries, cottage cheese, pickles, and peanut butter. My cravings have absolutely no rhyme or reason and come on fairly suddenly. Right now, it's veggie burgers. These days, nearly each time I go out to eat I order one and still haven't satiated my hankering. I decided it was high time I made my own.
Despite the fact that I generally have a strong aversion to Guy Fieri and his bowling shirts and "bling,"I had heard that his sister's veggie burger recipe was up there with the best. Thus, I conceded my disfavor of the man for a small moment and gave it a try.
These veggie burgers turned out surprisingly delectable and I am very glad that I made quite a few to freeze for whenever I need one .
I served mine up on a big brioche bun with a simple aioli (recipe below), avocado, green leaf lettuce, and tomato.

Veggie Burgers

recipe adapted from here

ingredients:

• 4 ounces olive oil
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp diced red onion
• 1/4 cup diced black olives
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 tbsp diced jalapeno
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp diced artichoke
• 8 ounces black beans, drained if canned
• 8 ounces chickpeas, drained if canned
• 8 ounces white kidney beans, drained if canned
• 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 6 ounces rolled oats
• 3.5 ounces oat bran
• 1/2 tsp Sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1/2 tsp hot paprika
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground sage
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1. Heat 2 ounces of the olive oil (half of it) in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add in the first seven ingredients (all until the beans) and saute until the veggies become translucent (about 5 minutes or so). Put the veggies into a bowl to cool and set aside. 
2. Slightly mash the beans and the parsley in a bowl with a fork or potato masher. Add in the veggies and mix thoroughly.  
3. Add in the remainder of the dry ingredients. Also add in the eggs and worcestershire sauce, and form into eight patties (I got seven, but I made mine fairly large). Cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour (or freeze any you don't want to use right away). I used a little circular tupperware container lined with plastic wrap to help me shape the patties. Then, I just lifted each out by the plastic, and wrapped 'em up- super easy! 
4. Heat the other 2 ounces of olive oil in the saute pan and cook the patties for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Super Simple Garlic Aioli

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp minced garlic

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Chill the aioli, covered, for at least 2 hours prior to serving so flavors can meld.

Grouper en Papillote

Grouper is one of my favorite fish, most likely because I grew up eating fried grouper sandwiches as they are kind of the staple meal of coastal-Florida living. I knew this simple Greek recipe would be perfect for my stay back home.

The fish was delicate and moist and the vegetables got nice in soft and imparted their flavors into the grouper. The best part is, this recipe is actually pretty dang healthy! I loved dipping my crusty baguette into the sauce as Peter Minakis from Kalofagas suggests!

Grouper en Papillote

recipe from here

ingredients:

• 1 medium red onion, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)
• 2 smallish (very precise I know) zucchini, sliced
• 4 grouper fillets (7-8 ounces each)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 tsp dry oregano
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• parchment paper
• butcher's twine (I just asked my butcher and he cut me off a nice long piece gratis!)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Roast the tomatoes in the oven in a medium-sized casserole dish for around 15-20 minutes or until they burst. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. Rinse and pat dry the grouper fillets and then season all sides lightly with salt and pepper; set aside.
4. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and then reduce heat to medium. Add in the onion and pepper and saute for around 6 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and wine and saute for another minute. Stir in the zucchini and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Set each fillet in the center of a piece of parchment paper around three times the size of the fillet. Spoon some sauce mixture over each fillet and top with a few basil leaves and some dried oregano. Carefully fold the sides of the paper up towards the middle, fold the two pieces around each other to form a seal, and twist the ends of the paper. Secure each end with butcher's twine.
6. Place the packages on a large baking sheet and bake in the 400 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
7. Carefully transfer the cooked packages to individual plates and cut open at the table. Drizzle each with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil.

Edit 10/26:

It should be noted that the leftover sauce/veggies from the fish make an excellent pasta sauce over whole wheat linguini. Be sure to serve it with a nice piece of crusty bread and a good, healthy sprinkling of Pecorino Romano!

Japanese Curry

I saw this recipe over at Closet Cooking and have been wanting to try it for a couple of months now and have even had the curry roux stashed in my pantry for a while but I just never got around to it. Boy am I glad I finally found the time to make this!

Japanese Curry

recipe from here

ingredients:

• 1 tbsp oil (I used Canola)
• 1 lb beef, cut into bite-sized pieces (I just used the pre-cut beef for stewing)
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, grated
• 2 carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 sweet apple, grated (I used a Honeycrisp apple)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 box Japanese curry roux
• beef stock

1. Heat oil in a large dutch oven.
2. Add the beef and brown on all sides. Remove beef and set aside.
3. Add onions and saute until soft.
4. Add the beef back in and cover with beef stock.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until beef is fall apart tender, about 1 to 2 hours.
6. Add the carrots, potatoes, apple, honey, and curry roux and cover with more beef stock.
7. Stir until the curry roux is fully dissolved.
8. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

I love Japanese curry and this recipe does not disappoint in the least. The sweet and savory combo that you get from the honey and apple with the beef and curry is absolutely sublime! I served mine with some Jasmine rice to soak up all of that tasty sauce.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Quesadillas

It was a super late dinner tonight! We had to go buy me a camera this evening since I've been making Mikey take all my pictures with his big, nice camera that I have zero idea of how to use. I got the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS in the cool blue steel color. I really like it! After we got the camera we stopped by his parents' house to pick up some goodies and munch on some apples, grapes, and delicious parmesan cheese. His mom gave us two little pumpkins to decorate with but of course the first thing I thought of was cutting them up and roasting them. I had been meaning to get a few pumpkins for a ton of recipes I've been wanting to try this fall. I immediately knew what was on the menu for dinner...

Pumpkin and Black Bean Quesadillas

recipe adapted from: Closet Cooking

ingredients:

• 1 cup of pumpkin cut into small pieces
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1/4 cup black beans
• 1 chopped jalapeno
• small handful of Manchego cheese
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• 2 tortillas ( I used La Tortilla Factory's whole wheat green onion tortillas)
• heaping 1/3 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream for dipping (I used 0% Fage)

1. In a bowl, toss the pumpkin in the vegetable oil and chipotle peppers and roast in a 400 degree oven on a baking sheet for 30 minutes (toss after 15 minutes to ensure even cooking) until soft and caramelized.
2. Mix the roasted pumpkin, black beans, jalapeno, and ground cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Melt a small amount of butter in a pan and place a tortilla in and top it with the pumpkin mixture, then the cheese, and finally the other tortilla.
4. Fry until both sides are golden brown and the cheese is nice and gooey.
5. Serve with Greek yogurt or sour cream (I sprinkled some more cinnamon on top of the Greek yogurt, yum!).

Oh my... these were unbelievable! The bite of the Manchego cheese paired so nicely with the sweetness of the pumpkin. Check out how gooey the inside got:

I ate each and every last morsel. I will for sure make this again!

While I was roasting the marinated pumpkin chunks for the quesadillas, I roasted up a whole little pumpkin and turned it into pumpkin puree for recipes later in the week. After the success of this one, I can't wait to try the others!

Veggie and Hummus Sandwich

I had a wonderful day yesterday . I went to the Toy Story/Toy Story 2 double feature in 3-D with my boyfriend, Mikey. As I watched, I munched on some delectable Swedish Fish. It was long! It started at 3:45 and didn't end until around 7pm! Afterwards, we went to P.F. Chang's as I had a $50 gift certificate from my birthday. We ordered almost half the menu! We started with the amazingly delicious crab rangoons and the wanton soup, and then proceeded to order four entrees and a side of garlic sauteed spinach! We were full before the entrees even arrived and ended up only having a couple of bites of each before asking for everything to be boxed up, ha ha. Needless to say, we have enough P.F. Chang's in the fridge for the entire week.

Since I was still full from my Chinese feast last night, I didn't feel like eating until around 12:45. I opened the fridge and looked around, trying to decide what to eat but noticed the P.F. Chang's leftovers staring back menacingly at me... I knew those would not be on the immediate menu. I decided on something fresh, a nice hummus sandwich.

I slathered some hummus on one slice of bread (mine is Dakota bread from Great Harvest), and then topped it with a small handful of sprouts, some slices of raw zucchini, and roasted red peppers. I smeared some avocado (about 1/4 of a small one) on the other slice of bread and placed a slice of Tillamook Swiss atop it and then some tomatoes. I finished with some salt and pepper and put the two pieces together.

I then popped it in a 350 degree oven until the cheese got all gooey and the bread toasted, about ten minutes (It's times like these when I wish I had a panini press or grill pan).

It was just what I wanted. Oh my gosh, the hummus gets nice and warm in the oven and mixes a bit with the gooey Swiss and the roasted red peppers added a subtle sweetness... It was awesome! I ate my sandwich with a sliced plum on the side and a glass of ice cold Diet Lime Pepsi (diet cola is my ultimate weakness).

Next time I think I might try roasting the zucchini first and adding some spinach!